Certificate: 18
Running time: 138 minutes
Starring: Tom Holland, Eliza Scanlan, Robert Pattinson, Haley Bennett, Bill Skarsgård, Riley Keough, Sebastian Stan
Directed by: Antonio Campos.
The story: Spanning a number of years from the late 1940's to the 1960's, The Devil All the Time follows a group of people living in southern West Virginia and Ohio and the dark truth behind small town life in rural America.
The verdict: This was a film that I had been looking forward to for awhile. When it was first announced and the cast involved was named, I thought that The Devil All the Time would definitely be a contender for one of the best films of the year. And then the film was released to a number of very mixed reviews, and suddenly I was a lot more apprehensive to watch this film. Was The Devil All the Time actually going to be a massive disappointment?
Well, having just watched the film, I have to say that I firmly disagree with the negative reviews because I thought that The Devil All the Time was fantastic. That is not to say that it is flawless, because it's not. However, I found a lot to like about it.
Filmed on 35mm, the cinematography of The Devil All the Time is really strong and plays completely into the brooding and dark nature of the film. The backwoods, country lanes and ramshackle houses all make for a really strong backdrop for a film that really draws you in from the first moment. The cinematography is also enhanced by a strong score that ebbs and increases perfectly in time with whatever is happening on screen.
One of the film's greatest aspects is its brilliant ensemble cast. The characters vary from the innocent to the completely diabolical, and each cast member inhabits their role really well. Unfortunately, as seems to be the case with any role that Robert Pattinson takes on, there seems to be a number of negative comments directed at him. I personally feel that these comments are very unfair, his turn as a sleazy preacher was done brilliantly and I had no problems with his accent (let's not forget that it is tricky even for an American born actor to do a highly specific regional accent, let alone a British actor). One of the most memorable moments of the film actually involves his character and may well turn your stomach. In terms of other performances, there are so many to mention. Tom Holland as the highly protective Arvin, Eliza Scanlen as innocent soul Lenora, Sebastian Stan as a corrupt sheriff, Bill Skarsgård as a haunted soldier - I didn't feel that there was a bad performance.
The Devil All the Time is made up of several threads and slowly these threads intertwine. Events are explained by an omniscient narrator, whose rich voice almost feels like he is telling the audience a bedtime story - albeit a harrowing and brutal bedtime story. I know that narration is often very divisive for audiences, but being a fan of narration in films, I enjoyed the narration.
My main issue with the film was probably the ending. It is hard to explain exactly why, but it was the only part of the film that didn't fit as easily with everything else for me.
The Devil All the Time is a very bleak and at times very upsetting film and to be honest by the end of it, you may wonder what it was all for. But for me I found it an intriguing study of religion and good versus evil, and I was completely engaged throughout its rather long running time. I loved how all the different stories came together and how different characters connected in surprising and shocking ways.
The rating: ✭✭✭✭ and a half
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